Make your own...Aioli

Aioli is a garlic and oil emulsified sauce. Originally from Normandy, France, aioli was traditionally served with fish soups, stews and on croutons.

Today aioli is made with the addition of egg yolks to help the sauce emulsify, making it quite similar to mayonnaise.

To me there is something magical about home made mayonnaise with its ability to transform from humble egg yolks and oil into a creamy and velvety rich sauce that taste great on anything!

Homemade aioli is even better. This is a fantastic recipe to know as it easily adds taste and texture to any dish from potato salads, grilled meats and fish, salad dressings, crudités plates, and sandwiches.

This version of aioli may not be traditionally accurate as I use roasted garlic plus fresh garlic to add extra flavour and sweet depth, but it is simple to make and tastes wonderful.

Try it and you are sure to never look back to humble store bought mayonnaise again.

MethodPreheat the oven to 180 degrees. Peel the garlic and place in a small baking tray. Cover with 200 ml of vegetable oil and bake in oven for 10-20 minutes until cloves are soft and golden brown. If you don’t want to use roasted garlic simply use one garlic clove finely grated instead. Also this recipe is a great excuse to make and use the recipe for confit garlic. Reserve the oil and garlic and allow to cool before using.

When cool, process the egg yolks, mustard roasted garlic, fresh garlic and lemon juice in a food processor until combined. While the motor is running add the garlic infused oil and regular oil in a steady thin stream. Continue to pour in the oils until the aioli becomes thick as desired and pale in colour. You will need to use at least 300 ml of oil for the sauce to hold.

Season to taste. If you would like to thin out the aioli at all add 1-2 teaspoons of boiling water to thin the aioli out slightly. Stir to combine and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.